Crazy… or Genius?
by CaptainS10
Summary: An opposite to the first book of Artemis Fowl. What happens when Artemis Fowl kidnaps somebody else besides Holly Short. Maybe somebody who doesn't know that she's a fairy…
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Don't forget your spare water bottle," my mom called.

"Mom, I'm going to be camping by a river," I complained. "I don't need two water bottles."

"Oh, fine," she relented. "But if you lose that one I don't want to hear about it."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, mother," I muttered.

"Thank you," she called, in that fake voice she always used when she managed to annoy me and she knew it. It was dripping with sarcasm.

I started hiking toward the crest of the hill, where the trees started.

It was Friday today, and me, being a nature lover, decided it would be a good weekend to go camping.

So I packed up enough stuff to last me for the weekend and set off.

That night, I sat at the base of an oak tree not to far from where I'd pitched the tent and watched the sun go down. The stars were beautiful, out here in the wilderness where there wasn't enough pollution to ruin the view.

The view around me was almost as beautiful as the sky. The oak sat by the edge of a river, standing tall in the bend. The moon was full, and the light it cast off reflected on the river, making it practically look like it was glowing.

I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning my head back against the trunk. If I didn't go back to the tent soon, I knew I would fall asleep. But I was comfortable here, and I didn't want to move.

A loud beeping sound suddenly filled the air. I sat up straight, looking around and trying to find the source of the noise, but it was gone as quick as it had come. It had beeped once, twice, and then… silence.

With a sigh I closed my eyes again, not seeing any reason to worry about it. What ever it was, it was gone now.

My breathing deepened and evened out, and I drifted…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Is she awake?" A deep, but soft voice asked.

"I thinking it's waking," a cold voice answered, not even bothering to try to be quiet. "Why don't you go; I call you if I need anything."

"Artemis-"

"Go, Butler," the cold voice cut in.

There was a sigh and heavy footsteps as 'Butler' exited the room.

My eyes flickered, but closed again almost immediately.

"Ah, so she is waking," the cold voice, Artemis, said, with a hint of satisfaction.

I opened my eyes again, and this time they stayed open. I looked up to see a boy standing over me, obviously the owner of the voice. He studied me carefully. I said nothing, but merely looked back at him.

With a start, I realized this boy was my age, or at least close. Twelve or thirteen, somewhere in that area.

Finally, I decided to break the silence. It was going to drive me nuts if I didn't. "Who are you?"

He smirked and bowed mockingly. "Artemis Fowl the second, at your service," he said. "May I ask who you are?"

"I'm not telling you my real name," I told him. "So you can just call me Power. That's my nickname."

"Hmm…" Artemis mused. "No, I think you shall prove very talkative, very talkative indeed. Or at least," he paused here, probably for dramatic effect, "You would if you knew what was good for you."

"Is that a threat?" I demanded, sitting up a little straighter. No reason for me to look as scared as I felt.

He leaned down, getting so close I could feel his breath in my face. "Maybe."

Butterflies fluttered around my stomach, but I tried to hold the fear at bay.

Okay, okay, I thought, shaking myself internally. Get it together.

"What do you want?" I demanded. "If you think you'll get something from this, you're wrong."

He shook his head. "Oh no. You're the one who is wrong. I will get something from this."

"Yeah, a diagnosis of psychosis," I muttered.

He wagged a finger at me. "You are testing my patience, Miss Power," he warned. "I assure you, this is not a good idea. And I believe you know exactly what I will get from this."

I shook my head. "How could I? For all I know, you're just doing this because you think it's funny, which, by the way, it is not."

He frowned. "No, certainly not." At the look on my face, he sighed. "Okay, I'll level with you here." He dropped down, sitting in lotus position in front of me. Then he leaned forward as if to share some great secret with me. "I know what you are."

"Yeah," I snorted. "So does everyone else in the world. I'm human."

"No, you're not," he said, obviously beginning to lose his patience with me.

"Yes, I am," I said, my patience beginning to wear thin as well.

"Okay, let's stop playing this game. You tell me the truth, I'll tell you the truth. Agreed?"

"But I am telling the truth," I protested.

"No, you are not," he said. "You are a fairy. An elf, a leprechaun, whatever term you prefer." I opened my mouth to protest, but he held his hand up to silence me. "Do not try to deny it. I already know for certain."

What I said next was probably one of the stupidest things I could have said. "Prove it."

He smirked. "Prove it? Okay then." He reached behind him and grabbed a little black box.

"This is a proximity meter," he informed me. "It is set to detect magic in a certain area around it. It detected the magic in you."

"Then why is it not going off now?" I asked, eyeing it warily.

"Because it's not on," he replied. "Nice try though." He flipped it over and pressed a little red button on the back. There was a click and then box starting humming as it started up. Almost immediately, it began to beep.

The same high pitched keening beep from before.

He smirked again and showed me the screen. It said MAGIC DETECTED, and gave exact directions on how to get to me. The list was very short, as I was sitting a few feet in front him. He moved it closer to me, so it was just a few inches away. The beeping got so loud it was almost unbearable. I flinched and pulled back. He just moved it closer again. "Take it," he insisted. "It won't hurt you."

"Except for that stupid insisting beeping," I muttered, taking it from him and flinching when the beeping got even louder on contact with my skin.

Artemis plucked the device from my hands. "Convinced yet?"

I thought about it. He had a convincing argument. But how was it possible for me to be some weird mythical magical creature and not know it? I decided I wanted more proof. "No," I said. "For all I know that little box thing is a trick. I want more proof."

He raised an eyebrow. "More proof?" I nodded. He thought about it.

"I have a way," he said, slowly, making sure I was comprehending. "But it's a little extreme. You're not going to like it."

"Tell me," I demanded.

He told me. I didn't like it.

But I still agreed to it.

I needed this. I needed proof. I had to know the truth.

"Are you sure?"

I bit my lip. I really wasn't sure, but I felt I had to. I was confident that I was right, that this guy was nuts, but I still couldn't help the what ifs that kept popping up in my head.

Finally, I nodded.

He stood. "Then I'll be right back."

As he exited the room, I leaned my head back against the wall, feeling the cold concrete surface behind me, and squeezed my eyes tightly closed. I laid there like that until I heard the door open again.

"Is she okay?" A deep voice murmured. "She looks a little green."

"She's fine," Artemis's voice assured.

"Are you sure, Artemis? You told me she wouldn't be harmed."

"I'm not condoning to anything here that wasn't agreed upon. Correct?"

I opened my eyes. Artemis was standing over me, looking expectantly at me for an answer. Standing behind him had to be the biggest man I'd ever seen.

I swallowed hard and nodded, forcing the words out around the lump in my throat. "Yeah. Yeah, I agreed to it."

The big man didn't look convinced. "Really?"

I nodded, then turned to Artemis. "Well," I said, leveling him with one of my signature looks, "Depending on whether this does or doesn't work, I'll officially labeling you crazy… or a genius."

"I prefer genius," he said.

"Me too," I admitted. "I rather be kidnapped by a genius than a psycho."

It was the truth, though I couldn't help the tag-along thought that ran through my head. Not that there's much of a difference.

The big man knelt down beside me. Taking my hand, he turned it palm up. He looked at it for a moment, then looked up at me. "Which hand is your dominant one?"

"My right," I said. "Why?"

"I want to use your weak hand, just in case."

I wanted to ask, in case of what? but I didn't. I already knew.

Spreading my fingers out from my palm, he reached back into his pocket and pulled out a pocket knife. "This will sting a little," he murmured to me, opening the knife and pressing the tip of it into my palm.

I nodded. "I had figured as much." Then I took a deep breath. "Okay," I said. "I'm ready. Do it."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

He drug the tip of the knife across my palm, making a small cut through the center.

I winced, but didn't pull away.

He lifted the knife, wiping the blood off on his pants, and slid it back into his pocket. Artemis and I both stared at my palm.

"So what now?" I asked nervously. "Nothing is happening."

"I think you have to will it to happen."

"Oh, like I'm not," I said scathingly.

He rolled his eyes at my tone. "Trying commanding it."

"Commanding what?"

He rolled his eyes again. "The magic, Power. Your magic."

I stared at my palm again, uncertain. Then I had a thought. "Um, heal?"

It was more a question than a command, but it still worked.

Everyone watched as blue sparks flew out of the cut, surrounding the cut in blue light. I stared at it in utter disbelief, while Artemis smiled triumphantly. Butler's face remained hard set, but his hard swallow didn't escape my notice.

Artemis's gaze flickered up to my face. "You really didn't know, did you?"

I shook my head. I couldn't speak. I was still in shock.

"Well, it's too bad you had to find out this way. Maybe I'll see what I can do about finding some answers why." He paused, standing up, and looked at Butler. "Drain her, then meet me upstairs."

I jumped. "W-what?" I stuttered. "Drain me? What's that supposed to mean?"

Artemis, who was already heading towards the door, ignored me. I looked at Butler. He too was watching the boy.

Then he felt my gaze on him and turned to me. "Give me your hand."

"Why?" I asked, but nevertheless put my hand out.

He took it, this time making a fist of all my fingers except for one. "I'm going to drain you of your magic. Don't worry, it will be relatively easy. I'm just going to stick your finger a few times until your magic stops healing it. Then will be able to tell that you're completely drained."

I swallowed hard. "Okay," I murmured. "But don't I have to tell it to work?"

He shook his head. "No. I think that since you used it once, your magic should no longer be dormant and should automatically heal you now." He took up the knife again, this time touching the tip of it to my finger. "Ready?"

I nodded, and the tip pressed down, cutting into my finger. A sliver of blood escaped before the blue sparks appeared again, healing it.

We repeated this process several times before, finally, the sparks didn't come back. The man sighed. "I think that's it. Your completely drained."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. So we're done?"

He nodded, the reached in his back pocket and pulled something out. He handed it to me. I studied it for a moment before realizing what it was. A band aid.

I handed it back to him.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll live without it."

He shrugged and stood up. "Then I'd better go. Artemis is waiting for me."

I nodded and watched him walk to the door, but stopped him with his hand on the handle. "Wait! Can… can I ask you something?"

He nodded. "But be quick about it."

"Do you exactly why I'm here? What…" I hesitated, but kept going, "What Artemis wants with me?"

He hesitated. "I'm not sure now would be the best time to tell you that," he said, his tone gentle. "But I can assure you, whether you choose to believe me or not, Artemis really isn't a bad kid. I know this really has nothing to do with the question you asked," he said, holding up a hand at me when I opened my mouth, "But I thought it might help you relax a little. If I know Artemis… Well, he won't harm you directly, and probably not on purpose either, but it could happen. As for your question, I do know what he's aiming at from this, but as I said, I don't think now is the best time to answer that question. Okay?"

"Okay… But what are you saying about Artemis?"

He shook his head, eyes sparkling mischievously. "Just think about it, okay?" Then he slipped out the door as quickly as he had entered it.

I sighed and shook my head. What was with these people? And what was he trying to tell me? Not to be afraid of Artemis? Or to be afraid of someone else? I didn't know, and I decided not to think about it. I laid down and curled up in a ball, deciding a nap was in order. Hopefully, that would help clear up the muddled mess that was my mind. Squeezing my eyes closed tight, I tried to fall asleep.

Eventually, I did, but one last thought passed through my head before I drifted off.

Genius it is.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Butler closed and locked the cell door door behind him, then headed up the stairs to Artemis's study.

The boy was sitting up at his desk, watching the news. He didn't even look up when the manservant entered the room. "Did you do it?"

"Yes, sir. She has no magic left."

"Good." He paused. "Do you believe her, Butler? What she said about not knowing, I mean."

"She seemed pretty sincere to me, sir," Butler answered.

"It doesn't add up, though. Why would the fairies abandon one of their own? Leave her here, in the world of humans, with no knowledge of her true heritage? It would seem to me that she did something to make them not want to associate themselves with her, or offend them, perhaps. Which leads up to the million dollar question— is this particular fairy even worth an ounce of gold? Did we grab the wrong girl?"

"I don't know, sir."

"The only way to find out is to continue on with the plan. We need a way to contact the People, find out whether we can continue on and use her or not. If we do contact them, and then find out that we can't, then the whole plan is ruined. They'll know about us, know to keep themselves hidden from us so that we can't capture any others, if we did live. Which we presumably wouldn't, because they would probably send a team to blue rinse us."

"But sir, you said that you knew how to escape those!" Butler protested. "I thought-"

"I said that I know how to escape the time stop," Artemis corrected. "Which, in theory, would allow me to escape the blue rinse, yes."

"Oh," he murmured. "So what if she isn't worth anything? What happens then?"

"She dies," Artemis said simply. "When they blue rinse the place, she'll be killed with anything else living left behind in the time stop."

Butler nodded hard, his jaw set. It was easy to tell he didn't like the idea, but he didn't say anything.

Artemis, either obvious to this or just ignoring it, continued. "The plan will probably have to be aborted, at least for a while, until the People relax a bit, before we can try to capture someone else. I imagine they'll be on their guard for quite a while after this, whether this plan succeeds this time around or not." He sighed and turned back to the computer. "Leave me, Butler. I need time to think about how I'm going to do this. I have to contact the People some how, I just have yet to figure out exactly how to do it," he murmured to himself.

Butler, noticing this, slowly began to back out of the room. Artemis was immersed in his work, now lost in his own little world. There was nothing else to do now but leave him to his own devices and let him work.


End file.
